While Sony’s Stellar Blade 2 is already confirmed to be in development and the mobile hit NIKKE: Goddess of Victory continues to rake in revenue, Korean studio Shift Up is quietly preparing its next major project. Officially unveiled under the working title Project Spirits (formerly known as Project Witches), the game has now been introduced to the public – complete with its first concept artwork.
Described as a “subculture cross-platform title”, Project Spirits aims to deliver a style rooted in Eastern fantasy aesthetics, blending anime-style visuals with light sci-fi and magical themes. According to Shift Up, this is a completely new IP, envisioned to become a top-tier title in the industry, building on lessons learned from Stellar Blade and NIKKE.
A recent wave of job listings reveals even more about the project’s scope. The studio is recruiting character artists, monster designers, level designers, and writers with experience in JRPGs, open-world design, and Unreal Engine 5. Cross-platform compatibility, including mobile support and crossplay, suggests a Genshin Impact-style formula tailored with a Korean twist.
The first released artwork leans more toward NIKKE’s visual identity than Stellar Blade’s: vibrant anime-style characters, mostly female, set in a fantastical sci-fi world. A 2027 release window has been tentatively mentioned, though more concrete details and a possible trailer are expected well before then.
